St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-02
IRON AND STEEL.
= Review of tlie Situation for the
Eear Just Closed.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 1.-The bulletin
OF the American Iron and Steel associa-
ton, published to-day, contains a review of
the iron and steel industries of the United
States during the year ending yesterday,
which shows some surprising results 1t
says:
Our iron and steel industries were especially
active during the year 1886, and this activity
was fairly distributed throughout the year
ALI Improvement in the condition OF most of
these industries had commenced in 1885, and
when the new year opened and the temporary
discouragement produced by the Connels-
Vile strike had disappeared, the certainty of
much more active year than 1885 bad be-
come assured Orders became more abund-
ant and except in one or two branches, they
have since continued to bear q
MOST FAVORABLE RELATION
to our producing capacity. Our production
in 1885 of pig iron, Bessemer steel and steel
rails, open hearth steel, struc .ural iron and
steel aud some of the other products has ac-
cordingly been much larger than in 1885, and
our production OF pig iron, BesSemer steel
Bessemer steel rails and open hearth steel
has been much the largest in our history
We estimate the production OF these four
leading products in 1885 to have been as fol-
lows. compared with the production in 1885:
Pig iron, 560O.000 gross tons, against 4,044,-
526 in 1855; BeSsemer steel ingots, 2,00U, 600
gross tons, against 1,5l9, ,430 in 1885; Bessemer
steel rails, 100000 gross tons, against $50 Al
in 1885, and open hearth steel, 200, ,0Or gross
tons, against i35.17S in 1885. The figures for
1885 have Teen estimated with care and we
believe will be fully verified by the official
returns which we are now collecting from the
manu- tacturerS. They are marvellous
IN their mere magnitude. but
more marvellous still in showing our
progress as iron and steel producers in one
year. Our production of iron ore in 1856 was
10000 tons. Notwithstanding the STEADY
increase in the demand for iron and steel DUR
ing 1886, it is remarkable that prices advanced
so slightly. Such advance as was established
came gradually, and in some instances as in
the case of bar iron, too slowly to meet the
increased cost of production. The price of
nails during the year actually declined, al
though the consumption increased In this
case the producing capacity Of the country
is much behind its wants. After comparing
prices, the Review proceeds: cit may be
said of the present prices for pig iron and
steel rails that they have only recently been
established, and that in the case of steel rails
large contracts Cor delivery in 1888 have been
made at S34 and S35. Our
IMPORTATIONS OF IRON AND STEEL
during 1856 have been very heavy and much
in excess of the importations OF 1885. In
1856 we imported about 400 tons of pig iron,
about $1,000 tons of old iron, over 100 600 tons
of steel blooms and bi!lets, nearly $50, 000 tons
of tin plates, fully $4,000 tons of wire rods
and about $4,000 tons of steel rails. Our total
importatioDs of iron and steel in 1856 will
amount to 10,000.000 tons. The stocks of un-
sold pig iron in this country at the close Of
1856 were probably no larger than at the close
Of 1855, when they amounted to 81, $50 gross
tons, which was very small surplus when
the pig iron wants of the country
are considered. During 1856 this
country built over 1000 miles of
new railroad against 1913 miles reported
by Mr.. Poor for 1855. This great in crease in
railroad building in 1886 contributed largely
| to the Improvement in cur iron and steel in
dustries which has been noticed. The gen.
eral business outlook for 1887 is at this time
very favorable, and for our iron and steel in
dustries it is especially so. Railroad building
promises to be even more active in 1887 than
il 1856, but none of us know what day Or
| month may bring forth in the stock market,
or in the financial or tariff legislation of con-
gress or in the condition of the country S
| crops. Of one thing we feel certain. Speak
! ing generally, it must stop where they are or
we will have such an influx of foreign iron
and steel in 1887 as we have rarely if ever
experienced. We need not dwell on the
consequences which would be sure to follow.